Justin Verlander opted to re-sign with the Houston Astros fairly quickly after becoming a free agent. That does not mean he did not have intriguing options elsewhere.
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Verlander turned down a one-year, $25 million offer from the New York Yankees in order to return to Houston.
Yankees offered Verlander $25M 1-year deal. Solid offer but weren’t going to beat the $50M 2-year deal with opt out he got from Astros
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 20, 2021
The Yankees certainly made a competitive offer. In fact, it’s financially identical to what Verlander ended up getting. The difference is that the Astros were willing to tack on a second-year player option, essentially guaranteeing Verlander a two-year deal with an opt-out.
After being turned down by Verlander, the Yankees remain in the market for veteran starting pitching. With another top starter apparently unwilling to consider them, they might have to expand their search to find what they are looking for.
